The Gift
by Austin Jade
Summary: They will come back; not only to show those around them what they grasped a hold of by themselves, but to show him their gratitude for the gifts he presented them.


They all awaited _him_ in this bright, crisp morning. Waiting for him to show up, to give them their last run, before they set off into the world, influencing those around him with the gifts he gave them. As he speeds on ahead of them to prepare to set them off on their way. He whirls around and holds up a hand. They all race towards it, anticipating, at the same time, dreading the hand-slap. As the run into their respective futures they carved , both by themselves and with each other's help, they promise to each other.

They say no words, but all present know that this isn't a 'Goodbye'; it's a 'Till we meet again'. For they will come back; not only to show those around them what they grasped a hold of by themselves, but to show him their gratitude for the gifts he presented them.

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He gave him the gift of humility.

It was a difficult pill to swallow, at first and even now, but he knows, deep within his being, he's all the better for it. He once was called King; he realized now that was Fool's Gold, at best. Yliaster wanted a doll for the masses and he was all too happy to be the marionette, so long as the millions kept chanting his name.

What made the gift even more arduous was the journey that accompanied the debasement. The King lost not only his crown and subjects, but his soul. The King realized that _he_ saw the King as an adult, and as an adult, it was for the King to find it on his own, without any help from _him_. But the King, as he was always able to do, persevered relentlessly, along with those who understood the worth within him. The King, in turn, finally understood what was missing outside of him.

He now enters the battlefield, knowing full well that, no matter if there's one or 100,000,000 resounding the name of His Grace, the ones that truly support him will always do so. And that's more than enough for him.

His Burning Soul will never waver again. To show his gratitude, he silently vows as his hand touches his rival's that he will never lose.

Until he has the chance to show his turbulent soul.

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He gave him the gift of evolution.

For all the bravado the Bird presented, the thought of his future frightened him in many ways. It wasn't fear of redundancy or fear of regret, but fear of failure. He wanted to make everyone proud of him, but what if he failed? What if he let everyone who knew him down? What if there wasn't a helping hand to guide him?

What if he couldn't fly?

But _he_ convinced the Bird otherwise. It didn't matter, he realized. Victory was only another turn on the road; defeat, a puzzle to solve. Victory wouldn't make those around him proud. Evolution would. Evolution in strength would. Evolution in courage would. Evolution in love would.

As the Bird's hand lightly lands on his friend's, the pact is quietly sealed. He'll spread his wings and make sure he soars, fearless of the number of crashes it will take. He knows that the path will take many travels to reach, but the final goal will be worth it.

And on that day, _he_ will soar with him, on the maiden flight of the true Blackbird.

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He gave her the gift of happiness.

The Witch once had someone watching over her, protecting her, caring for her, loving her. It was what she had always wanted. Life was so much easier, then, only doing what her Caretaker told her. And she did it willingly, in appreciation for all he had done, because he had saved her from herself.

But she wasn't happy.

In retrospect, _he_ symbolized everything she resented in life. Parents. Guilt. Conscience. Love of self. Joy. She wanted it all obliterated from existence. The only thing the Witch needed was her Caretaker. Everything else was unnecessary.

They became allies. A common enemy forced them so. They had taken _his_ friends and her Caretaker from them. Though they were careful to watch each other's backs, she thought once the battle was over, there might not be anything left to say.

They became teacher and student. Her desire to learn and his willingness to teach caused a natural gravitation between the two. The more she learned, the more she wanted to know, like a child first attending school. He took it slow enough to teach her, but knew when to be firm when she needed to solve a problem on her own. Soon, she wanted to learn more about the one subject he refused to teach; himself.

They became friends. They fought, no longer because they had no choice or because they had mutual gain, but for a cause they both believed in and because they wanted to protect. Protect the city. Protect their families. Protect each other.

They became close. A mutual affection grew; after all they had been through. But when she was uncertain of what was to happen, he understood her heart before she did, once again, and reverted back to a previous role. He gave his final lesson to teach: No regrets.

As her hand taps his, she refuses to bid him farewell, choosing, instead, to tell him she's leaving. She goes to take his lesson to heart and show it to the world. She'll live, no longer in mourning, instead enveloping everyone she meets in all the love he gave her as an enemy, ally, mentor, and friend. When she returns, she knows her smile and her love will be the most beautiful of all, because she shared it instead of hiding it.

And that's when she'll be able to thank him; with all of her heart.

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He gave her the gift of self-reliance.

Before, she couldn't understand; how could so much responsibility be taken care of by one single person? One single girl? The answer was simple; she couldn't. It was impossible. No way could she do it.

It wasn't a matter of _could_ she do it; it was a matter of she _wouldn't_ do it.

So she ran.

Right into _him_.

Or, rather…_him_ into her.

He showed her she could do it.

It was a long process; she wasn't convinced right away. But he showed her, himself. How could one person deal with such great responsibility?

The answer was so simple, she couldn't believe she didn't realize it sooner. She wasn't alone. Whether it was her brother, her family, her friends, or her Duel Spirits, she rarely had the opportunity to be alone. There was no point worrying about saving everyone by herself, because she wasn't by herself. Everyone was battling with her every time she dueled.

Their feelings transferred to one another. They reveled in her joy; they comforted in her despair; they gave her hope where none existed.

It was no longer a matter of she _wouldn't_ do it; it was a matter of how can she _not_ do it.

She rides her Duel Board towards the airport, leaving on the next flight for far off lands. She plans on studying to keep challenging herself in order to reach new heights.

Her hand lands on his, and she speeds off, refusing to let herself cry for them all leaving each other. Because she knows they're always with her, even if not physically, like her Duel Spirits. When she shows her gratitude, it won't be because she hadn't seen him in so long.

It'll be because he was always with her, cheering her on.

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He gave him the gift of confidence.

The Boy had the ability; anyone with an eye for it could easily see that. For some reason, he couldn't. Why should he? He wasn't special. He couldn't talk to Duel Spirits. He wasn't even a Signer. Why should he be any different than anyone else?

Because the boy was different from everyone else. He was different from everyone else, because he was an individual. And, _his_ fundamental belief was there was no one person that was unnecessary.

So, he continued to fight, despite all reservations he held, in order to reach his goal. The goal to prove he wasn't unnecessary; the goal to prove _he_ was right all along, despite what the Boy believed.

And he proved it, time and again, slowly changing his mind. That was when the goal changed, he didn't want to prove _him_ right any longer, because it was meaningless to do so. He knew he was right; the boy just had to understand why _he_ knew.

That was the new goal to fight for. He had the memories of his fights that changed him for the better; that led him to this point, to be a brother his sister could be proud of. One that could support her more than enough for all those they were leaving behind, just in case she forgot they were there with him.

As his hand finally ends the chain, the Boy swears he won't see _him_ for a long time. It's a self-punishment for doubting _him_, but also a mutual understanding that he needs to grow by himself. The seeds have been planted, now they need to cultivate.

When that happens, he will thank him face-to-face, no longer as a boy to a mentor, but as one Man to another.

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He sighs as he watches the five speed away from him and his city. He understands they all need to thrive on their own to reach their true potential, but that doesn't erase the pain he has as he sees them off. But unbeknownst to the five determining how they will greet him when they return, he's already deciding on how best to thank them, for their gifts.

The gifts he gave to them were the same he received from them. The humility one gets when one becomes the person one wishes; the evolution one receives when one flies to new heights; the happiness one receives when one opens themselves to others; the self-reliance one has when they realize they're not alone; and the confidence one gets by using the other gifts together to become the person they're proud to reveal.

He races back towards the city, where he will stay. As they made their pledges, so did he; a pledge to make the city that he loves acceptable to the people he loves, so that their battles, dreams, and feelings are not put to waste. He muses as he reaches the outskirts that this particular duel has ended, but the next one will begin shortly. And he is now at peace, for through the journey they had, he has no doubt they are completely prepared for the true Riding Duel called 'Life'.

He raises his voice loudly, and calls out, so all the world, especially his loved ones, can hear:

'_Riding Duel; Acceleration!'_


End file.
